We can be cheerleaders for simple joys (even when we don’t share them) and compassionate about the fact that we’re all just trying to survive. Thank you for our capacity to be comforted, dazzled, and delighted by harmless pleasures and small joys.
Presenter: Rev. D’Vorah Kelley Service Associate: Priscilla Taylor Mary Oliver was a prolific award-winning poet before her death in 2019. Her poems often touch on spiritual topics like God and prayer, even though she rarely talked much about churches, official beliefs, or other things people often associate with religion. She became an unconventional spiritual teacher … Continue reading “Life, Death, and Everything In Between: Selected Poems of Mary Oliver”
Presenter: Janice Kimball Service Associate: Carol Johnson Janice Kimball, author of numerous books and articles, will speak to us about the profoundly meaningful exercise of writing to discover the wholeness of who and what we are. Whether we write to communicate to others, or just to more deeply understand our own history and experiences, we … Continue reading “Writing from the Heart”
Joy shows up most often when we are present and open to the uncontrollable beauty of life. Joy recedes when we lose touch with the present, when we are so preoccupied with the future, with trying to control where things are going, that we can’t see what delights might be popping up right in front … Continue reading Embracing Joy
Presenter: Rev. Matt Alspaugh Service Associate: Annie Morris I’ve realized that I’ve lived my life, in part, to search for awe. My interest in science, nature, music, art, and in spiritual things may be driven by a yearning for awe. What is this emotion of awe about? It seems so fundamental to our nature. Why … Continue reading In Search of Awe
Presenter: Richard Clarke Service Associate: Carol Johnson Join us as Richard Clarke explores the ideas of unity and interconnectedness through the teachings of Sri Ramana Maharshi, a revered sage of the 20th century and Unitarian-Universalist eyes. Discover profound parallels between Universalism, Unitarianism, and Advaita Vedanta in this special talk. Much of Ramana’s teaching aligns with … Continue reading “Embracing Oneness: Exploring Universalism and Unitarianism through the Eyes of Ramana Maharshi”
Presenter: Bob Koches Service Associate: Jane Castleman Taking a holistic approach, this UU sermon challenges our traditional ways of thinking and explores the 7th UU principle and love, through the interconnected lenses of system science, gestalt thinking, and the Japanese concept of finding your purpose, known as ikigai. We’ll explore how these ideas can create a … Continue reading System Science, Love, & the Interconnected Web of Existence
Presenter: Richard Clarke Service Associate: Carol Johnson Richard Clarke explores the transformative power of gratitude to enrich our lives through simple joys and cherished memories. Research underscores the physical and mental benefits of gratitude for older adults, from bolstering immune function to enhancing cognitive well-being. But beyond the science lies a deeper truth: gratitude fosters … Continue reading Cultivating Joy through Gratitude
June Wilson, Presenter Cat Barnett, Service Associate Everyone wants to be happy. This service will explore information about happiness from scholars, philosophers and ordinary people concerning how we can create more happiness in our own lives and spread happiness to others.
Rev. Matt Alspaugh, PresenterD’Vorah Kelley, Service Associate It’s a few days before Valentine’s Day, which for most of us folks from the north is a celebration of romantic love. Here in Mexico, Valentine’s Day is much broader, a celebration of familial love, and love for friends, a larger love. In this service, we will consider … Continue reading “A Larger Love”
Presenter: Jane Castleman “Living Joyfully: Embracing the Gift of Joy” will explore the transformative power of joy. Joy is not a fleeting emotion, but a way of living—a choice we make every day. It is a gift we give ourselves and share with others, cultivating a sense of wonder, gratitude, and delight in our lives. … Continue reading “Living Joyfully: Embracing the Gift of Joy”
